Punch Up Your Palette

Decorating Editor Lindsey Ellis Beatty transformed a former front porch into a vibrant sunroom with her signature brand of decorating sunshine

For three years, Lindsey Ellis Beatty ushered guests into her home through a front door that opened into an empty and unfinished sunroom. "I knew I couldn't tackle the room for a while, but the whole time, I was filling a decorating file in my head," she says. So when the time came to act, Lindsey knew the direction she would take. "My husband, Kevin, and I needed a grown-up space that reflected our personalities," she says, "and I wanted a 'wow factor' when I opened the door to guests."

This plain sunroom came to life with layered rugs, classic upholstered pieces, and lots of bold color and pattern.

Lindsey put her own decorating advice to the test, starting with fabric selections to set the room's happy mood and a bright color palette of pink, turquoise, and chartreuse. "I don't think fabrics have to be matchy-matchy to communicate with each other," she says. "If they share a similar vibrancy and color temperature, they'll look good together."

Mixing instead of matching fabrics and blending style eras rather than going for period-perfect rooms are central to Lindsey's personal take on tradition. "I like schemes that feel more organic, more evolved," she says. Rather than being confined by strict style categories, Lindsey planned an interior she describes as "bold, pretty, tailored, and energetic."

To achieve the right look, Lindsey used patterned fabrics on draperies and pillows, but for the most part, she kept upholstery, flooring, and walls pattern free. These neutral zones frame the bold motifs, giving them more pop and prominence. Plus, Lindsey says, "I like to change it up fairly often, so keeping the basics neutral lets me do that without starting over."

White upholstery can be frightening for a family with toddlers (Lindsey and Kevin have two boys, ages 3 and 2), but she had no fear thanks to new fabric protectors that use nanotechnology to make her upholstered pieces impervious to spills and sticky fingers.

Underfoot, a sisal outdoor rug and cowhide naturally offer the same ironclad durability—and a lot more. "I wanted warming texture, not more pattern, on the floor," says Lindsey. The area rug also allows for a cozy floating furniture arrangement and leaves some of the original slate flooring strategically bare to direct traffic behind the French bergère chairs.

Now that she's filled the room with color and personality, Lindsey can't wait to open the front door when visitors arrive.